Mobile electronic devices continue to be increasingly used due to their portability and ability to support particular user functions. Accordingly, the rate of hearing impairment caused by mobile devices has increased on account of an electromagnetic wave generated by the mobile electronic devices. Surveys show that ten percent of the American population has a hearing problem, eighty percent of them have been using a hearing aid, and about 500 million people have hearing difficulties worldwide.
In order to increase access to the use of mobile electronic devices for those with hearing problems, in July 2003 the Federal Communication Committee (FCC) adopted a regulation demanding that wireless device manufacturers and enterprises provide terminals compatible with hearing aids to consumers. Accordingly, half of mobile phone models sold in USA should be authenticated for Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) from the year 2008.
The HAC regulations include items, such as an intensity of a magnetic signal, a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), and a frequency response. The mobile electronic devices may be acknowledged as a HAC mobile electronic device when satisfying the required conditions. More particularly, the mobile electronic devices are divided into T1 to T4 ratings according to the intensity of the magnetic signal and the SNR among the items, and may be acknowledged as the HAC mobile electronic device when receiving a T3 or T4 rating. More specifically, a magnetic signal intensity of −18 dBA/m or more and an SNR of 20 dB are required to receive a T3 or higher rating according to the HAC regulation. Here, the SNR is defined as a magnetic signal to noise ratio in a band of 1 kHz.
Meanwhile, HAC mobile electronic devices generally use a receiver further including a tele-coil, namely, a receiver referred to as a HAC receiver. Since the HAC receiver further includes the tele-coil, the HAC receiver has an advantage in terms of amplifying the intensity of the magnetic signal but is inferior in other capabilities. Namely, comparing the HAC receiver with a receiver that does not include the tele-coil (hereinafter, referred to as a ‘general receiver’), the HAC receiver has an audio volume of about 10 dB lower than the general receiver, and an additional coil should be embedded in the receiver so that the size of the receiver itself is increased and manufacturing costs increase as well.
Therefore, a need exists for a hearing aid compatible mobile electronic device which reduces noise through a change of line design, thereby supporting compliance with the HAC regulation.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.